Cosmic’s Connected Home

Cosmic’s Connected Home

Positive People’s digital team are always looking for innovative ways to showcase technology to clients and the wider community. We have used GoPros on mountain bikes, iPads to make stop motion animation and now a custom-built model house to demonstrate gadgets inside the home. This is a fully working miniature tech house which aims to show the fun, convenience and accessibility options available to you.

All devices can be either voice activated using the EchoShow, Amazon’s new fully integrated personal assistant, or a smart phone/ tablet device anywhere in the world.

Let’s have a look at each room;

Outside – We have the Ring Doorbell. This wifi enabled device allows you to see who’s at your front door, anywhere in the world. Your smart phone will let you know someone is at the door with a camera that allows you to see who’s there. Perfect if you’re waiting for a parcel and not in. There is also motion detection that can alert you if someone is near your property, providing convenience and security. At home you can say “Alexa, show me the front door” and the Echo Show will give you a live feed.

There’s also a dog which is wearing a Pit Pat, this is a fitbit sort of device, tailored for your pooch. Once connected to your tablet or smartphone It tracks steps, food intake and can give you recommendations to improve fitness and nutrition.

Making our way inside, we have a fully intelligent and customisable lighting system. The Lifx Wifi Strip and Bulbs are named “upstairs lights” “Kitchen light” and “Living room lamp”. You can use the show to manipulate the lights with your voice or phone/tablet anywhere in the world.

Amazon show will respond to commands like;

“Turn location lights on/off”

“Make the location light red”

“Turn all lights on/off”

“Turn my lights on at 7.30am”

Any many more!

This serves many purposes, perfect for people with limited mobility, unable to easily operate switches. Also, being able to turn lights on/off, making it look like someone is home provides a security blanket when away.

In the living room we have an Amazon Fire TV Stick, which is a voice-controlled device that connects to your TV, this allows access to all that internet TV has to offer, including Netflix, Amazon prime (With subscription) BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 etc. Again, perfect for those with limited mobility or have no assess to a TV aerial.

In the kitchen there is an Amazon Dash, which is a small button device that once connected to your Amazon account and pressed, will find that specific branded item for the cheapest price and deliver it to you next day. In this example it is for Vanish washing powder. However, there are many different brands available.

The bathroom has a Waterproof JBL Speaker. This connects to the show or phone via Bluetooth and can be voice activated using the show or used standalone with ant Bluetooth device.

While this connected home is very fun to showcase and draws many people in with voice commands and flashing lights. It also serves a very real, practical use for people with limited mobility, empty homes, security issues, energy saving and peace of mind. As the ‘internet of things’ becomes more and more everyday learning about these devices and staying safe using them is becoming essential.